


Warmth

by celticvampriss



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, rivetra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 19:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4032529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticvampriss/pseuds/celticvampriss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is based on an AU prompt of “I’m the sarcastic techie who got dragged into running your stupid presentation.“  Levi is the techie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> Something I wrote for Rivetra Week: Warmth. Lame title, sorry.

He ignored her.  Again.

Petra began to tap her fingers on the podium.  “Excuse me?  I was just asking how much longer until the screen starts working?”

The casual slide of his eye toward her made her flinch, but he just as easily went back to looking at the wires in his hand.  She bent to his level, looking into the cupboard where the tower and all of the electronics were housed.  The heat of their working motors warmed her face.

“I’m really not trying to be pushy.  This is just really important…”  She tried not to run through her notes again or to glance at the note-cards in her pocket.  The auditorium was so empty with the lights still dimmed and it was hard to imagine it filled with people all expecting her to present her work.  The guy wrist deep in computer guts, she still hadn’t caught his name, had hardly spoken to her since trying to get her PowerPoint to actually show up on the pull down screen behind her.

He was dressed smartly, a nice white dress shirt tucked neatly into his pants.  He didn’t wear a jacket—not that she blamed him, it was so hot near all that running electricity—but his tie was clipped between his buttons to keep it from falling in his way.

“Look, if you just give me an update I will leave you to it.  I promise.”  She smiled.  It was difficult to crouch down with him in her heels and pencil skirt, her balance teetered, but she caught herself using his shoulder.

_Holy crow.  Hello there._

Her fingers flexed lightly over muscle and she was way too slow in removing her hand.  She flushed.  “Sorry.  I lost my balance.”

“It’s fine.”  He said, briskly.  She felt like she ought to leave him alone now.  But she’d already twisted apart her leftover napkin from lunch, it was in crumpled bits in her hands, and she feared what else she might nervously tear up if left on her own.

When she didn’t make a move to leave, he sighed.  “I’ve got to find the right connection.  They stuff so much shit in these things and no one ever bothers to keep them organized.”

Petra nodded and now the way all of the wires next to him were pulled apart and color coded with a zip tie made sense.  “Yeah, that does seem like it’d be a problem if something needs to get fixed.”

“It’s a fucking nightmare.”  He said through his teeth, threading out another cord.  “You said your presentation is at four?”

Petra nodded.  “Yes.  I was hoping to go through a quick run of everything before then though…”

“You’ll have plenty of time.”  He said, then he pulled a zip tie from his back pocket, tied it to the wire, and used a knife to cut off the extra length.

Petra tapped her fingers against her knees.  

She felt him continue to glance at her, but she had settled back into a sitting position next to him on the thin carpet.  Her legs tucked close to her since there were few positions she could achieve in her outfit.  

“What’s the presentation for?”

She looked up. “Oh, it’s a presentation of a study I did.  Boring, really, unless you’re interested in that sort of thing.”

He cut through another zip tie.  “I’m not.”

She chuckled into her hand.  “Anyway, do you know how much longer—”

“You’re not going to stop asking me how much longer, are you?”

She cringed and shook her head.  She didn’t mean to bother him, but it was his job and she needed him to get on with it so she could do hers.

“I don’t know.  I know that I’ll be done in time for you to do your practice run.”  He pulled a flashlight from his other pocket—where was he keeping all this in those pants?—and he leaned into the cupboard.  Petra tried to see past him, but then quickly stopped when her view of his well-fitting pants became too personal.  He moved back and took out a tablet, clicking around too fast for her to follow.

“Is that monitor on?”  

Petra jumped up and went to the podium.  Underneath a clear layer of glass a monitor was face up and she wiggled the mouse next to it.  The Start Screen showed up asking for her University ID and password.

“Yes.”

He stood up, swiping away at his tablet, and her eye caught the sudden light from the projector across the lecture hall.  The screen behind her turned blue.

“You got it!”  She clapped her hands together.

“That’s the idea.  Log in.”

“Oh, right.”  She pulled out the keyboard and typed in her information.  The computer booted normally, but the screen behind her stayed blue.  “Is that supposed to happen?”

“No.”  He said, kneeling back down over the computer cupboard.  Again, with him bent on his hands and knees, Petra had to glance away because—it must have been the heat of the room—her face was suddenly warm.  She didn’t even hear him when he had suddenly come up behind her, guiding her to the side so he could get to the computer.

Somehow, he got it running and Petra could have hugged him.  She held up her flash drive and he took it from her to plug it into the computer.  The wires were all neatly rolled up, tied, and put back into the cupboard.

“Alright then.  Start it up.”  He said, moving around her podium to stand in front of the first row of chairs.  Petra started opening folders until she found her presentation and she glanced behind her as it loaded.  When it was ready she set it to full screen.  She pulled her note cards from her pocket and then stopped when she noticed him still standing there.  He held the tablet under an arm and the other hand was in his pocket.

“I appreciate the help.”  She said.

“No problem.”

“Um…are you going to watch?”  Her nerves were so frazzled and he was too attractive which made her nerves worse.

“Yeah.  Unless you don’t want me to.”

“No.”  Damn it.  “I guess.  Okay that’s fine.”  She tucked her hair behind her ear, laughing lightly.  “You know, this really is very boring.”

“Just go.  I want to make sure everything’s working.”  It almost sounded like he was stalling for time.  Or like he didn’t want to leave.

Petra started up the first slide.  She used minimal animations and instead focused on the research itself.  Once she got into it, it was easier.  Even with him watching.  She went faster than the presentation was meant to go and it took her about twenty minutes.

He didn’t say anything, but instead started to gather up his bag and rolled up a few cords to put in it.  Petra stared rather openly, because it seemed like an opinion should be offered since he was the one who asked to watch.

“What did you think?”  She asked before he could leave.

“Me?  I didn’t understand a word of it.”  He said, then added, “It looked good, though.  Professional.”

“Okay, I guess that’s something.”  She said, her annoyance fading.

“Thank you, again.  For fixing it.  And for watching.”  Her smile turned to a smirk.  “Even though it was boring.”

He nodded.  Obviously he was not one of many words.

“Hey.”  Petra called to him one last time.  She stepped out from the podium.  “How about after this I treat you to some coffee?  I owe you for saving my presentation.”

“That’s my job.”

Petra bit her lip.  She almost considered letting it be.  “That’s not entirely why I asked.”

It was the first time his countenance faltered.

“My presentation will be over by six.”  She said, an open ended offer.  He could refuse her now without actually saying anything.  Petra waved to him, though he still seemed rather dumbfounded as he left.  Somehow, she felt fairly confident that he’d be waiting for her.


End file.
